This invention relates to a machine assembly and process for wrapping packaging sleeves about product groups. Particularly, this invention relates to a packaging sleever assembly and process of packaging individual product groups from a continuous product stream. The assembly and process separates the product stream into product groups and wraps and secures packaging sleeves about the individual product groups.
Various machines and processes have been proposed and used to continuously package selected product groups. These machines and processes have typically comprised packaging machinery components and structures which separate the product stream into product groups, which provide a packaging structure, such as a sleeve, to each product group and which secures the packaging structure about the group to form finished units.
Each prior art machine and process, however, accomplishes the wrapping and securing of packaging structures about the product groups in its own particular manner and uses specific structures to preselect and separate the product groups. Particularly, the manner in which the packaging structures are placed with respect to the product groups and subsequently secured about them varies significantly. The machine structures and processes utilized, often are dictated by the size and configuration of the individual products, the desired product group size and, particularly, they depend upon the physical structure and configur,ation of the packaging structures to be utilized. Packaging speed, accuracy and economy being the hallmark for each machine structure and process.
For example, Applicant's assignee, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,530,686, and 4,802,324, respectively, teach a Rotary Carton Placer and a vertical Cartoning Assembly and Method for use in the packaging of product groups. Patent '686 discloses a carton placer which operates by driving one or more planetary gear driven article transfer mechanisms about a stationary gear and which causes the vacuum cups, for example, to travel in rotational paths having apex or outward positions of travel. At these apex positions various cooperating structures can be positioned, such as an article storage magazine or a moving conveyor.
The '324 Patent discloses a vertical cartoner assembly and method for placing and assembling cartons over preselected product groups moved on a conveyor. In its operation, a rotary carton placer, as disclosed in the '686 Patent, is used to remove cartons in a flat and folded configuration from a storage magazine and placed and opened between the flight arms of the carton flights of the vertical cartoner structure. As the open and erected carton is moved in synchronization with and above the product groups being carried on the line conveyor, a cam structure causes the open carton to move downwardly and over a product group. In conjunction with a carton folding mechanism or gluing station, the carton is then folded or constructed into a wrapped confiquration to yield the completed packaged product. Thus, the process of the '324 invention is to vertically lower partially erected cartons onto the preselected moving product groups.
The packaging sleever assembly of this invention places sleeve structures onto selected and moving product groups in a different manner. The assembly comprises a frame structure, a product stream and a means to select product groups from the product stream. The assembly of this invention, in contrast to the prior art assemblies, transfers flat packaging sleeves from a magazine and places the sleeve structures onto the preselected groups. Thereafter, the packaging sleeves are wrapped and closed in synchronized movement. Thus, rather than lowering a partially constructed sleeve as disclosed in the '324 Patent, the assembly of this invention places flat packaging sleeves directly onto the selected product groups. The sleeves are held and moved simultaneously along with the product groups by flight structures which move in the direction of the product stream flow, but, which additionally move in a horizontal manner perpendicular to the stream flow.